Battery pack with built in communication port

ABSTRACT

A system and method for providing a communication port integral with a battery pack assembly is disclosed. The system provides a pathway between an external unit and a host unit via a printed circuit board of the battery pack. The battery pack can include communication ports mounted on the printed circuit board for interfacing with external units. The printed circuit board further includes a substrate(s) formed with a predetermined wiring pattern electrically and/or mechanically joined to the CPU of the host unit, as well as the battery cell(s).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 11/337,748, filed Jan.23, 2006, and entitled BATTERY PACK WITH BUILT IN COMMUNICATION PORT,which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/610,225, filed Jun. 30,2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,019,420 and entitled BATTERY PACK WITH BUILTIN COMMUNICATION PORT. The entireties of the above-noted applicationsare incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a battery pack assembly andin particular to a battery pack system having a built in communicationport that employs a printed circuit board for transferring data to ahost unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Typically there is a desire to reduce size of electronic units, whilelowering associated assembly costs and improving their overallruggedness. In particular, many electronic units, such as; hand holdmobile terminals, communication units, and the like have variousassembly costs and are generally susceptible to damage during employmentin harsh environments. Such units are generally assembled by enclosinginternal electrical components, such as a central processing unit (CPU)board, display, keyboard, and internal wiring, within a housing made ofplastic or another structural material. The enclosure normally serves asa protective measure and is typically formed in two parts; an upperhousing and a lower housing, with the electronic components beingmounted to one or both sides of the housing.

Many such electronic units employ various interface componentsincluding; switches, plugs, socket arrangements and communication ports,which are subsequently employed for any suitable communication interfaceof communication standards and/or protocols, e.g. parallel, SCSI,Firewire (IEEE 1934), Ethernet and the like. Typically, such dedicatedcommunication ports increase assembly and fabrication costs of theelectronic unit. Moreover, openings that are associated with suchinterface components generally cause a contamination of the electronicunit, e.g. moisture and other fine particles can enter the unit andaffect its performance during lifetime of the unit. The reliability ofthe dedicated communication ports can also be affected over time.

Some designers have resorted to various gasket arrangements formitigating such contamination. Nonetheless, such gasket arrangementsrequire regular inspection and maintenance to assure properfunctionality in harsh environments, e.g. high humidity and temperature,presence of corrosive agents and the like.

In addition, there are applications for such units, wherein theirassociated communication ports and electronic components can be exposedto high shock conditions and accelerations, e.g. of the order of 1000 to4000 g's of acceleration during deployment. To this extent, the need hasalso increased to ensure that the electrical interconnections of thecommunication ports through which various components interface, are eachadequately protected from vibration and shock damage that can resultfrom high levels of acceleration. Such mechanical shocks typicallyaffect the reliability of the connection for the communication points.Thus, an adequate protection is required for variouselectrical/mechanical contacts of the communication ports from vibrationand shock damage that can result from high levels of acceleration.

At the same time, such electronic units typically include variousreplaceable battery arrangements having electrical/mechanical contactsthat are subject to wear and tear during a lifetime of the electronicunit. For example, such battery arrangements can include rechargeablebattery packs comprised of battery cells. Generally, when one batteryunit or a battery cell of such a pack is depleted, it can be removedfrom the host unit and replaced with another fully charged battery cell,with the depleted battery unit or cell being recharged or disposed of.Such a battery pack arrangement can typically include a sealedenclosure, which protects the rechargeable batteries cells. Contacts onthe exterior surface of the battery pack enclosure mate with contacts onthe electronic device or interior terminal contact, upon the batterypack being mounted on the electronic device. Such battery packs may bearranged in two or three rows, depending on the capacity required of thewhole battery pack, capacity and size of each battery, and similarfactors. Charging or discharging the batteries of these devices requiresuse of various conducting parts for electrical connection between thebatteries and between package terminals and the batteries. Suchconducting members are typically subject to wear and tear, which in alife time of the electronic unit can affect its performance.

Therefore, there is a need to overcome the aforementioned deficienciesassociated with conventional devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order toprovide a basic understanding of one or more aspects of the invention.This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It isintended to neither identify key or critical elements of the invention,nor to delineate the scope of the present invention. Rather, the solepurpose of this summary is to present some concepts of the invention ina simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that ispresented hereinafter.

The subject invention provides for an apparatus and method of providingcommunication port(s) as part of, and/or built in, a battery packassembly that supplies power to a host unit. In one aspect according tothe present invention, the battery pack assembly includes a printedcircuit board(s) (PCB) that functions as a component to transfer variouselectric signals and/or data to a CPU of an electronic device hostingthe battery pack. The printed circuit board includes a substrate(s)formed with a predetermined wiring pattern electrically and/ormechanically joined to the CPU of the host unit, as well as the batterycell(s). As such, a need for the host unit to employ dedicated ports,(e.g., communication ports) associated with its CPU is mitigated, sincea host unit interacts with an external unit via ports provided in itsbattery pack. This further reduces costs associated with fabrication anddesign of the host unit.

Another aspect of the present invention provides for a battery packincluding a printed circuit board and battery cells. Within the batterypack the battery cell(s) are held in a spaced relation to the printedcircuit board, such that sufficient space is being provided between theprinted circuit board and the battery cell(s) for mounting ofcommunication ports and charging ports. Such ports can also be integralwith the printed circuit board.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the batterycompartment can include a top case and a bottom case with a deformablelatch member therebetween for retention of the battery cells, and inresponse to actuation by an operator, for removal of the battery cellfrom its casing. In another aspect of the present invention, the printedcircuit board extends substantially parallel to the battery cells thatare directly plugged thereto via a snap connection. In addition,positive and negative terminal connections are provided on the printedcircuit board for coupling with the CPU of the host unit. Suchconnectors may include a multitude of elastic, resilient, conductiveregions and a multiplicity of elastic, resilient, dielectric regions,combined in alternate fashion as to form a single stack. Accordingly,throughout a life time of the host unit, each time the battery pack ischanged, new connection contacts that are part of new battery packreplace worn out contacts associated with the old battery pack. Thus,reliability of communication with the host unit increases.

In another aspect according to the present invention, on one side of theprinted circuit board (PCB), communication port and charging contactsare provided for interfacing with external units and/or peripherals.Likewise, on an opposite side of the printed circuit board connectionterminals for power and/or communication contacts are provided with theCPU of the host unit. As such, the PCB functions as a pathway forconveying various signals and/or data from peripheral equipment to theCPU. Put differently, the PCB of the battery compartment functions as anassembly for transfer of various signals from external units to the CPUof the host unit. More over, the PCB can be a flexible printed circuitincorporating polyimide films bonded to copper foils or other conductivematerial.

In another aspect of the present invention, the battery compartment canbe provided with a suitable access for connection of the printed circuitboard to a back plane, or for connecting the printed circuit board andthe host unit to other devices in various circuit configurations asdesired.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described. The followingdescription and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certainillustrative aspects of the invention. However, these aspects areindicative of but a few of the various ways in which the principles ofthe invention may be employed. Other aspects, advantages and novelfeatures of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetailed description of the invention when considered in conjunctionwith the drawings. To facilitate the reading of the drawings, some ofthe drawings may not have been drawn to scale from one figure to anotheror within a given figure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a host unitincorporating a battery pack according to one aspect of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a PCB of the battery pack withcommunication ports mounted thereupon, according to one aspect of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed view of a flexible printed circuit boardemployed as part of the battery pack according to one aspect of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a battery pack casing for enclosing the PCB and thebattery cells according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded perspective of the battery pack assemblyaccording to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a battery pack with points ofconnections to the host unit and a peripheral device.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart of a method according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a terminal unitarchitecture that hosts a battery pack according to the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is now described with reference to the drawings,wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elementsthroughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation,numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present invention. It may be evident, however, thatthe present invention may be practiced without these specific details.In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in blockdiagram form in order to facilitate describing the present invention.

As used in this application, the term “computer component” is intendedto refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, a combination ofhardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example,a computer component may be, but is not limited to being, a processrunning on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a threadof execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, bothan application running on a server and the server can be a computercomponent. One or more computer components may reside within a processand/or thread of execution and a component may be localized on onecomputer and/or distributed between two or more computers.

The invention provides for a communication pathway between a host unitand an external unit, via a battery pack assembly that includes aprinted circuit board(s) (PCB) with a communication port(s) coupledthereto. Referring initially to FIG. 1 an exemplary schematic blockdiagram is illustrated for an electronic unit that employs a batterypack according to the present invention. The host unit 12 derives powerfrom the battery pack 18 having a printed circuit board and batteryunit(s) 10. The battery pack 18 is removably attached to the host unit12. The host unit 12 can be any portable electronic unit having aremovable power supply, such as for example: a portable hand scannerunit or bar code reader, transmitter, receiver, computer, personalelectronic organizers, electronic navigation devices, and any electronicunit having an auxiliary battery power with a removable battery cell.The operating system 11, as well as an associated CPU 14 interact with adata storage assembly 17. The data storage assembly 17 typicallyincludes an array of memory cells, wherein each memory can bemanufactured in accordance with a 1 Mbit, 2 Mbit, 8 Mbit or similarstorage cells and as a volatile memory IC. Such memory cells can havetwo or more states corresponding to various levels of impedance. Thesestates are set by applying a bias voltage, and then the cells remain intheir respective states until another voltage, in reverse bias, isapplied. Accordingly, each memory cell of data storage 17 can beaccessed or “read”, “written”, and “erased” with information. The memorycells maintain information in an “off” or an “on” state (e.g., storageis limited to 2 states), also referred to as “0” and “1”. To store thisinformation, a memory cell can include a capacitor structure thatpermits storage of a charge allowing the memory cell to keep a singlebit of information. Such memory cells typically employ a refresh signalto maintain the charge on the capacitor and/or their information. Someexamples of the memory storage 17 are memory devices such as dynamicrandom access memory (DRAM), double data rate memory (DDR), flashmemory, metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), andthe like.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the battery packassembly 18 includes a printed circuit board(s) (PCB) that functions asa component to transfer various electric signals and/or data to the CPU14 of the host unit, which hosts the battery pack 18. The printedcircuit board includes a substrate(s) formed with a predetermined wiringpattern electrically and/or mechanically joined to the CPU of the hostunit, as well as the battery cell(s). Accordingly, a need for dedicatedcommunication ports associated with the host unit 12 and its CPU 14 ismitigated. This further reduces costs associated with fabrication anddesign of the host unit 12.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a PCB with communication portsmounted thereupon according to one aspect of the present invention. ThePCB 20 includes a plurality of wiring patterns 22 for conducting variousdata and/or signals, such as data from an external device, to the CPU ofthe host unit. According to one aspect of the present invention, theprinted circuit board 20 extends substantially parallel to the batterycells (not shown) that are directly plugged thereto via a connection 24for providing an electrical contact with the battery. Attached to an endconnection 24 is a conductor 28 for providing an electrical path betweenthe battery and the connection 24. Various “snap” connectors can beemployed with the connector 24, e.g., a male connector attached to thebattery conductor and a female connector being mounted on the circuitboard. Upon engagement of the male connector with the female connector acircuit path forms between the battery and the circuit board 20. Also,various other electrical connections to external units may be providedbetween the connectors mounted on the circuit board and variouscomponents of the PCB. In addition, positive and negative terminalconnections 17, 26 are provided on a side of the printed circuit board20 for coupling with the CPU of the host unit. Such connectors canfurther include bendable joint members having a plurality of leadsdisposed in parallel and held by a thin piece of base film integrallytherewith. Such a base film provides the joint member with electricalinsulation and heat resistance. Thus, the joint member serves as areliable electrical conductor. Furthermore, such a joint member canflexibly bend because of the thin base film, and thus the circuitsubstrate can be efficiently fitted into to the battery case.

Similarly, on an opposite side of the printed circuit board 20, variouscommunication ports 28 and charging contacts 29 are provided forcoupling with peripheral units and external devices. Such connectors mayinclude a multitude of elastic, resilient, conductive regions and amultiplicity of elastic, resilient, dielectric regions, combined inalternate fashion as to form a single stack. As such, the PCB assembly20, which is part of the battery compartment, functions as a pathway forconveying various signals and/or data from peripheral equipment to theCPU of the host unit. Accordingly, throughout a life time of the hostunit, changing the battery pack provides for new connection contactsthat replace the worn out contacts. Thus, reliability of communicationwith the host unit increases.

According to another aspect of the invention, the PCB 20 can be aflexible circuit board. Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown adetailed illustration of a part of the flexible PCB 20, wherein anelectronic component 36 is mounted thereupon with bump electrodes 37interposed therebetween. In one aspect of the present invention, theflexible printed circuit board 20 includes a base film 30 serving as abase member, a conductor layer 34 on the base film 30, and a cover layer35 on the conductor layer 34. The base film 33, the conductor layer 34and the cover layer 35 are joined together by a bonding agent (notshown). The base film 33 may typically fabricated from polyimide. Whilethe conductor layer 34 is illustrated as a single layer, it is to beappreciated that a plurality of layers may also be provided. Thethickness of the entire flexible printed circuit board 20 including aplurality of conductor layers 34 may vary depending on the type ofelectronic components and desired stiffness.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an electroniccomponent 36 is electrically connected to the conductor layer 35 of theflexible printed circuit board 20 through bump electrodes 37. Suchelectrodes 37 may be provided on the electronic component side or theconductor layer 34 in advance. In addition, the electronic component 36can be mounted as part of the flexible printed circuit board 20 in sucha manner as to be encapsulated via encapsulating resin 38, e.g., anepoxy type resin or a silicone type. Furthermore, an upper reinforcingplate 33 is provided on the encapsulating resin 38 as an additionalstiffener. Similar reinforcing plate 32 may also be provided at a lowerportion of the circuit board. Accordingly, while the flexible printedcircuit board 20 has a flexibility as a whole, a rigidity can beprovided to desired portion of the flexible printed circuit board 20,e.g. the electronic components areas, and improve connectiontherebetween.

Referring now to FIG. 4 a housing that encases the battery pack assemblyis illustrated. The casing 40 is comprised of an upper casing and alower casing. The top casing and/or bottom casing can have connectingstructures in the form of various latching mechanism employed toassemble the lower housing with the upper housing. A plurality of suchinterlocking joints can be spread around the perimeter of the connectingarea of the lower housing and/or the upper housing. Typically, suchinterlocking mechanism is designed to minimize its occupied volume,while at the same time providing a secure attachment to preventdisengagement of the bottom housing from the upper housing. In anotheraspect of the present invention, a deformable latch member 46 isprovided between the top housing and the bottom housing for retention ofthe battery cells (not shown), and in response to actuation by anoperator, for removal of the battery cell from its casing. The assembledhousing 40 further includes a plurality of contact points 48 and/oropenings along its various surfaces as to provide access to the printedcircuit board pathway, and a respective connection between theperipheral devices and the CPU unit. For example, in one aspect of thepresent invention, point 41 provides a communication port contact to theCPU. Likewise, point 43 serves as a power contact for coupling thebattery pack assembly to the host unit. Moreover, various gaskets ofrubber, foam, or any other elastomer, operable to sufficiently seal thecontact points and/or opening may be provided.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded perspective for several components of thebattery pack assembly according to one aspect of the present invention.The battery pack assembly 55 holds a battery set 57 in spaced relationto a printed circuit board 50, sufficient space being provided betweenthe printed circuit board 50 and the battery set 57 for mounting ofcircuit components on the printed circuit board 50 between the batteryholder and the printed circuit board. The circuit board includes a builtin communication port 58 for transferring various signals and/or data toa CPU of the host unit. The PCB 50 provides for a connection pathwaybetween the communication port(s) 58 mounted on the printed circuitboard 50 and the CPU of the host unit. In one aspect of the presentinvention, the PCB interfaces with an external device through a cableconnected to the communication port 58. While interfacing with theexternal device, an associated application looks for an identificationsignal on the communication port 58.

The battery set 57 maintains its position within the battery casing, inpart via the retention a deformable latch mechanism 55. Such latchmechanism 55, in response to actuation by an operator, can providedisengagement of the top case 51 from the bottom case 52 and removal ofthe battery set 57. In addition the bottom casing 52 may be providedwith an access door 59 which allows access to the PCB and various otherconnectors or components mounted thereupon or connected to it. A similaropening (not shown) may be provided on the upper casing 51.Additionally, the battery pack assembly 55 may be provided with asuitable access (not shown) for connection of the printed circuit boardto a back plane. Alternatively, the housing and printed circuit boardmay be provided with various types of connections for connection of theprinted circuit board in various circuit configurations as desired.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a battery pack 60 is depicted according toanother aspect of the present invention. The battery pack 60 includes aprinted circuit board with a communication port, as well as arechargeable battery cell comprised of a Lithium-Ion (Li-ion)Nickel-Cadmium (Ni—Cd), Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH), Sealed-Lead-Acid(SLA), Lithium Polymer (Li-Pol)). The battery cell can also be part ofan array of battery cells assembled together as part of a power unit inan electronic device. The battery pack 60 can include side latchfeatures 62 that function as part of a lateral catch/latch mechanism forconnecting the battery pack to the host unit. On side 64, the batterypack interfaces with a peripheral and/or external device. For such aninterface, typically, positive and negative battery sockets are engagedby resilient contact portions of the positive and negative finger leadsof the peripheral unit, which project into the battery cell cavities andcan selectively be coupled to the printed circuit board of the batterypack assembly 60. For example, such a resilient member for a peripheralconnector is illustrated as element 69. Similar elements exist for theterminal internal connector 66 of the host unit, for coupling the PCB ofthe battery pack assembly with the CPU of the host unit.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a sequence of acts/events accordingto one aspect of the present invention. While, for purposes ofsimplicity of explanation, the methodology is shown and described as aseries of acts, it is to be understood and appreciated that the presentinvention is not limited by the order of acts, as some acts may, inaccordance with the present invention, occur in different orders and/orconcurrently with other acts from that shown and described herein. Forexample, those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that amethodology could alternatively be represented as a series ofinterrelated states or events, such as in a state diagram. Moreover, notall illustrated acts may be required to implement a methodology inaccordance with the present invention.

At 70 the battery pack that is coupled to the CPU of a host unit,interfaces with an external device through a cable connected to thecommunication port of the battery pack. While interfacing with theexternal device, an application associated with the CPU looks for anidentification signal on the respective communication port. At 72, asignal is received at the communication port coupled to the PCB of thebattery pack. Such signal can be an electrical wave for communicatingdata, an alert, or the like, which typically requires further processingby the CPU of the host unit. At 72 the signal travels via the PCBinterconnections, wherein the PCB of the battery pack functions as apathway for transferring signals and/or power from outside the host unitto the CPU of the host unit. At 74, the signal is delivered from the PCBto the CPU of the host unit via interface connector leads positionedtherebetween. Next, at 76 the CPU of the host unit receives the signaland process it at 78 for further action. As such, the battery packassembly with its printed circuit board(s) functions as a component totransfer various electric signals and/or data to a CPU of an electronicdevice hosting the battery pack.

Turning now to FIG. 8, a schematic block diagram according to one aspectof the present invention is shown in which a processor 360 isresponsible for controlling the general operation of a portable scannerdevice 350 that employs a battery pack assembly with a built incommunication port as discussed earlier. The processor 360 is programmedto control and operate the various components within the scanner device350 in order to carry out the various functions described herein. Theprocessor or CPU 360 can be any of a plurality of processors, such asthe p24T, Pentium 50/75, Pentium 60/90, and Pentium 66/100, Pentium PROand Pentium 2, and other similar and compatible processors or microcontrollers. A processor such as Intel's 8 bit microcontrollers, the8031, 8051 or 8052 can also be employed. The manner the processor 360can be programmed to carry out the functions relating to the presentinvention will be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in theart based on the description provided herein. A memory 370 tied to theprocessor 360 is also included in the portable scanner device 350 andserves to store program code executed by the processor 360 for carryingout operating functions of the scanner. The memory 370 also serves as astorage medium for temporarily storing information such as receipttransaction information and the like. The memory 370 is adapted to storea complete set of the information to be displayed. According to oneparticular aspect, the memory 370 has sufficient capacity to storemultiple sets of information, and the processor 360 could include aprogram for alternating or cycling between various sets of displayinformation.

Display(s) 380 is coupled to the processor 360 via a display driversystem 390. The display 380 is operable to display data or otherinformation relating to ordinary operation of the portable scanner 350.For example, the display 380 may display a set of customer information,which is displayed to the operator and may be transmitted over a systembackbone (not shown). Additionally, the display 380 may display avariety of functions that control the execution of the portableelectronic device 350. The display 380 is capable of displaying bothalphanumeric and graphical characters. Furthermore, as explained earlierthe display 380 may be a touch screen that is capable of receiving userinformation as well as displaying information.

Power is provided to the processor 360 and other components forming theportable electronic device 350 by a battery pack 400, which includes abuilt in communication port. In the event that the battery pack 400fails or becomes disconnected from the portable electronic device 350, asupplemental power source 510 provides power to the processor 360, thesupplemental power source 510 being a super capacitor connectedelectrically in parallel with the battery 400. The hand-held terminal350 may enter a minimum current draw of sleep mode upon detection of abattery failure.

The portable electronic device 350 includes a communication subsystem410 that includes a data communication port 420, as part of the batterypack 400, which is employed to interface the processor 360 with externalunits. The portable electronic device 350 also optionally includes an RFsection 430 connected to the processor 360. The RF section 430 includesan RF receiver 440, which receives RF transmissions from the maincomputer for example via an antenna 450 and demodulates the signal toobtain digital information modulated therein. The RF section 430 alsoincludes an RF transmitter 460 for transmitting information to the maincomputer, for example, in response to an operator input 465, e.g. via akeypad, or the completion of a transaction. Peripheral devices, such asa printer 470, signature pad 480, magnetic stripe reader 490, touchpanel 500, can also be coupled to the portable scanner device 350through the processor 360.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect tocertain illustrated aspects, it will be appreciated that equivalentalterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the artupon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexeddrawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by theabove described components (assemblies, devices, circuits, systems,etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describesuch components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated,to any component which performs the specified function of the describedcomponent (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though notstructurally equivalent to the disclosed structure, which performs thefunction in the herein illustrated exemplary aspects of the invention.In this regard, it will also be recognized that the invention includes asystem as well as a computer-readable medium having computer-executableinstructions for performing the acts and/or events of the variousmethods of the invention.

In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have beendisclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, suchfeature may be combined with one or more other features of the otherimplementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given orparticular application. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms“includes”, “including”, “has”, “having”, and variants thereof are usedin either the detailed description or the claims, these terms areintended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising”.

1. A mobile terminal comprising: a bar code reader; a battery packcompartment that accepts a battery pack assembly including acommunication port integral therewith; and a CPU that recognizes thecommunication port of the battery pack assembly.
 2. The mobile terminalof claim 1, the battery pack compartment comprising a set of interfaceconnector leads that operatively couple the mobile terminal to thebattery pack assembly.
 3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, the CPUdiscovers an external device attached at the communication port.
 4. Themobile terminal of claim 3 further comprising an input device thatprovides a plurality of functions that control the execution of the CPUand the discovered external device.
 5. The mobile terminal of claim 2,power is provided to the mobile terminal via the interface connectorleads.
 6. The mobile terminal of claim 3, the CPU receives a signal fromthe external device via a communication link with the interfaceconnector leads.
 7. The mobile terminal of claim 1 further comprising aradio frequency subsystem, the radio frequency subsystem comprises aradio frequency receiver and a radio frequency transmitter for receivingand transmitting radio frequency transmissions.
 8. The mobile terminalof claim 1 further comprising a supplemental power source providingpower to the mobile terminal in the event that the battery pack assemblydisconnects or fails.
 9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, thesupplemental power source is a super capacitor.